FERMENTATION AND

ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION

Assoc.Prof Dr.Mohd Noor Abd.Wahab

FERMENTATION

important part of our lives:

spoil food
make food, gives us the basic food, bread.
Fermentation is also employed in preservation
to create lactic acid in sour foods such as
pickled cucumbers, kimchi and acidic dairy
products yogurt.
produce alcoholic beverages wine, beer,
hard cider, and vinegar.

The actual biochemical pathway the reaction

takes varies depending on the sugars involved,
but commonly involves part of the glycolysis
pathway, which is shared with the early stages
of aerobic respiration in most organisms. The
later stages of the pathway vary considerably
depending on the final product.
involves the breaking down of complex
organic substances into simpler ones.

The fungi obtain energy through glycolysis,

splitting a sugar molecule and removing
electrons from the molecule.
Chemical Equation
C6H12O6 2C2H5OH + 2CO2 + 2 ATP
(Energy Released:118 kJ/mol)
Fermentation produces two ATP molecules per
molecule of glucose compared to 38 by
aerobic respiration

Alcohol fermentation

the formation of alcohol from sugar.

Yeast, under anaerobic conditions, convert

glucose to pyruvic acid via the glycolysis
pathways, then go one step farther, converting
pyruvic acid into ethanol, a C-2 compound.

Alcoholic fermentation

In plants and most higher fungi such as yeasts.

End product: ethanol, CO2, NAD+, ATP.
Energy released: 210kJ
Ethanol used in brewing, CO2 in rising bread.

(1)Pyruvic acid

Pyruvic
dehydrogenase

(2)Acetaldehyde + NADH

acetaldehyde + CO 2

Alcohol
dehydrogenase

C2H5OH + NAD+

Ethanol fermentation

yeast breaks down glucose (C6H12O6) into 2

molecules of ethanol (C2H6O) and 2 molecules of
carbon dioxide (CO2).
breaks pyruvate down into ethanol and CO2.
It is important in bread-making, brewing, and winemaking.
When the ferment has a high concentration of pectin,
minute quantities of methanol can be produced.
Usually only one of the products is desired; in bread
the alcohol is baked out, and in alcohol production
the CO2 is released into the atmosphere .

Lactic acid fermentation

In animal and human cell muscle. Many in

aquatic lower fungi, ex; Allomyces,
Blastocladia, Chytridium, Sapromyces.
End product: Lactic acid, NAD+, ATP
Energy released: 150kJ

1.Glycolysis:
C6H12O6 (glucose) + 2 NAD+
2 C3H4O3
(pyruvic acid) + 2 NADH + 2ATP
2. Lactic Acid Production:
2 C3H4O3 (pyruvic acid) + 2 NADH
C3H6O3 (lactic acid) + 2 NAD+
Net Reaction:
C6H12O6 (glucose)

Lactic
dehydrogenase

2 C3H6O3 (lactic acid)

Fermentation

Brewing process

During the primary fermentation (H), the fermentable

sugars, mainly maltose and glucose are converted to
ethanol and carbon dioxide.
This action is performed by the brewing yeast, which
during the brewing process also produces many of the
characteristic aroma compounds found in beer.
At the end of the primary fermentation, the yeast cells
flocculate and sediment at the bottom of the fermenter
and can be cropped and used for a new fermentation.
Not all yeast cells sediment; some will remain in
suspension, and these cells are responsible for
maturation of the beer.

ANAEROBIC
RESPIRATION

Oxidation of organic or inorganic molecules

in the absence of oxygen to produce energy.
When oxygen is not available as the final
electron acceptor, the electron transport system
is unable to function.
Electrons are not passed down the cytochrome
system, and both FADH2 and NADH are
unable to release electrons.
Carrier molecules are unable to accept new
electrons when they cannot returned to their
oxidized state.

The entire aerobic pathway will shut down.

The cell have an alternative system which will
allow glycolysis to continue despite the lack of
oxygen.
The energy- yielding pathways under
anaerobic conditions are divided into
respiration and fermentation.

Anaerobic respiration
When inorganic molecule act as final eacceptor. Ex:nitrate (NO3-)
Mostly involve facultative aerobe bacteria.
(aerobe bacteria use nitrate when oxygen is not
available)
Nitrate/nitrite respiration ( E. coli):
NO3- + 2 e- + 2 H+ NO2 - + H2O